All Things Gingerbread (aka Android 2.3 [not 3.0]) - Droid Incredible General

I thought it might be good to have a central place to post information about Gingerbread for the Dinc. I am thinking we can use this thread primarily as a clearinghouse for "news", speculation, rumors, etc.
I remember the way Verizon and HTC left us twisting in the wind for months with Froyo, forcing users into wild speculation and a lot of useless "inside information". Use this thread as you see fit. I would ask, however, that you do your best to include a citation and/or weblink for information you provide here to help users decide the value of your information.
I imagine the devs will have their own ROM/Theme/Kernel-specific information regarding Gingerbread in those threads so obviously check there also.

Senior Member "DS36" posted some information this morning regarding Gingerbread in a thread I started yesterday asking if we should start a Gingerbread. Here is his comment from that other thread:
"Yes start the thread
The .32 source codes for has just been released"
Thank you, DS36, for providing this information. Apologies in advance for cutting and pasting from your original post.

ptgay49 said:
Senior Member "DS36" posted some information this morning regarding Gingerbread in a thread I started yesterday asking if we should start a Gingerbread. Here is his comment from that other thread:
"Yes start the thread
The .32 source codes for has just been released"
Thank you, DS36, for providing this information. Apologies in advance for cutting and pasting from your original post.
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not a problem thanks for the new thread
lets all get excited and hungry mmm mmm gingerbread

DS36 said:
not a problem thanks for the new thread
lets all get excited and hungry mmm mmm gingerbread
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drooling already

Posted on Android Community Website on 11-15-2010
Eric Schmidt Demos Nexus S Running Gingerbread
15 November 2010 by Dylan Bailey
Google CEO Eric Schmidt was on stage at the Web 2.0 Summit and then all of the sudden he pulled out one of the most talked about phones of the last few weeks: The Nexus S. He didn’t go into much detail, he even left out which manufacturer is making the Nexus S, even though it’s very obvious.
While he was on stage he also mentioned that Android 2.3 should be out in the “next few weeks” and Google TV integration with major networks is going well.

I believe I'm excited
ptgay49 said:
Eric Schmidt Demos Nexus S Running Gingerbread
15 November 2010 by Dylan Bailey
Google CEO Eric Schmidt was on stage at the Web 2.0 Summit and then all of the sudden he pulled out one of the most talked about phones of the last few weeks: The Nexus S. He didn’t go into much detail, he even left out which manufacturer is making the Nexus S, even though it’s very obvious.
While he was on stage he also mentioned that Android 2.3 should be out in the “next few weeks” and Google TV integration with major networks is going well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Incredible using XDA App

I just realized the minimum requirements for gingerbread are what our phones have do you think this may mean well miss updates after 2.3?
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Gahh Its Lee said:
I just realized the minimum requirements for gingerbread are what our phones have do you think this may mean well miss updates after 2.3?
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Click to expand...
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The hero and Eris have froyo....
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

@Lee Like any great phone, this one is becoming obsolete. Some time after 2.3, our contracts will start to be up for renewal and we will get the next latest, greatest phone just like this one once was. It's a vicious cycle that never ends. But with advances in operating systems, there will always be advances in hardware. Who knows, our next phone may have a quad core processor. Let's just hope battery technology advances lol.
sent from my Incredible running cyanogenmod 6.1 with a quadrant score of 1453.

^
Good point. Since the Dinc is my first smart phone, it seems like I'll want to use it "forever". But with electronic gadgets changing and, for the most part, improving so rapidly, I guess that is not realistic.
My goal is to brick my Dinc exactly 730 days after I bought it.

jbrowning37 said:
@Lee Like any great phone, this one is becoming obsolete. Some time after 2.3, our contracts will start to be up for renewal and we will get the next latest, greatest phone just like this one once was. It's a vicious cycle that never ends. But with advances in operating systems, there will always be advances in hardware. Who knows, our next phone may have a quad core processor. Let's just hope battery technology advances lol.
sent from my Incredible running cyanogenmod 6.1 with a quadrant score of 1453.
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Personally, I believe the DINC will still be able to handle a couple more updates with ease. If you look at lower end phones like the G1, Hero, Eris, etc, there will always be those awesome devs tweaking the code to make certain phones work, even if the update wasn't specifically made for a particular model( i.e ERIS and the froyo uodate.)

I just love my dinc. I actually got mine rather recently and I doubt ill ever wanna give it up. Although I will throw it off the bridge if I can get a quad core lol.
Random extra thought... What is the word of dual core phones? I remember reading something about some phones possibly being made with dual core.
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Gahh Its Lee said:
I just love my dinc. I actually got mine rather recently and I doubt ill ever wanna give it up. Although I will throw it off the bridge if I can get a quad core lol.
Random extra thought... What is the word of dual core phones? I remember reading something about some phones possibly being made with dual core.
Sent from my Incredible using XDA App
Click to expand...
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Chips go on market in 2011
Dual 1.3 and 1.5s
Plus most high end phones should sports samoled in 2011
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

I want a new phone now...

Looks like Google won't be waiting for the Nexus S to debut GB..
Now that the Google Nexus S has been delayed, the reasons for which are still unknown, could Android 2.3 Gingerbread make its debut on the Google Nexus One instead — the handset that also intro’d Android 2.1 and 2.2?
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I think in the next couple weeks, Gingerbread droid should be dancing around on phones. Just in time for the holidays!

News Article from the Pop Herald dated 11-21-2010
Windows Phone 7 and Android (Gingerbread preparation) Marketplace updates
November 21, 2010 By Joan Lee
Android’s upcoming update with codename “gingerbread” still unavailable, but report says Android marketplace will get few tweaks before the launch. Plus, Windows Phone 7 catching up with new apps.
Google’s mobile OS, the Android 2.3 with codename “Gingerbread,” is just around the corner. And before its launch, reports say few changes on Android’s marketplace interface for developers were seen.
This only means one thing, more “cool” apps for Gingerbread are possible.
There were improvements last week called ”Recent changes” for applications. In this new section, users can now see the details of every changes made with the app. For example, if the developer creates one new feature like “share,” the update log made will be visible to the user who wants to download it.
In the Android developers interface, a 325 characters of space is now available, where app creators can mention bug fixes, support for additional languages, new options, and more.
Users can also feel the application “more” with the developer requirement of 1024×500-pixel graphic, plus a YouTube video link. With a bigger resolution, users can see a bigger screenshot of the app, plus developers can now add videos to give users more insights like how-to and preview. Perfect for game apps.
These updates are expected to give the Android apps more purchases, more profits and more fun (for the buyers).

News Article from slashgear.com 11-24-2010
Andy Rubin to release Android 2.3 Gingerbread on Dec 6?
By Chris Davies on Wed Nov 24th, 2010
Speculation is mounting that Google will launch Android 2.3 Gingerbread on December 6, when project mastermind Andy Rubin is expected to take the stage at the “D: Dive Into Mobile” show in San Francisco. The prediction, says IntoMobile, fits in with Google CEO’s Eric Schmidt’s suggestion that Gingerbread would see a release in the next few weeks; Rubin’s appearance will be three weeks from Schmidt’s confirmation earlier this month.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread will roll out to the Google Nexus One initially, and then it will be up to individual manufacturers to put their development money where their mouths have been and deliver updates to their handsets. As we’ve seen with previous Android updates, however, the timescale for that will likely vary from weeks through to months.
NOTE BY POSTER ptgay49: That last sentence is a buzz kill.

What new features are in 2.3?

Not much worried about it.. owning a incredible with the developers in xda 's forums it won't be long after release to having it running on my phone..super pumped about it though
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Gingerbread Features
dpwhitty11 said:
What new features are in 2.3?
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Article found on androidandme.com dated 11-25-2010
Now Andy Rubin, the godfather of Android, is scheduled to speak at D: Dive Into Mobile on December 6th and everyone is speculating that might be the magic day for the Android 2.3 announcement.
We can’t say for sure what he will talk about or possibly announce, but as we get closer to the launch of Gingerbread more and more features are starting to leak out. Read on after the jump for 12 features that could be appearing in the next release of Android.
1. Tweaked UI
It doesn’t sound like the Android UI is getting a complete overhaul till Honeycomb, but Gingerbread will include some small tweaks. The notification bar at the top of the screen has gone from white to black, the launcher buttons are now green instead of translucent, and many of the native app icons have received a makeover.
Most of the existing native apps will also look slightly updated thanks to tweaks with the styling of menus, check boxes, and radio buttons as leaked in the last Google Maps update. Other small tweaks include new animations when you swipe across the desktop and when you power off the display (as reported by Phandroid).
2. Near Field Communications (NFC)
We first reported back in October that Samsung’s Google experience phone would support MasterCard PayPass, and then last week Eric Schmidt confirmed that Gingerbread would support Near Field Communication (NFC).
NFC is a short-range, high frequency wireless communication technology that only operates when two devices are about 4 inches apart. It is basically just another form of electronic identification except the ID is tied to a bank or credit card company. All the user needs to do is just setup their account then tap their phone to a wireless payment pad and complete the transaction.
Eric Schmidt said that in the future your phone could replace your credit card, so you can see how important this is to Google and their partners.
Opponents of NFC say it might fail because it is too complex and big companies will fight over who owns the point of control for the transaction, but if Google is going to make this a standard feature on all future Gingerbread phones then we think that ensures it will at least move the mobile payment standard forward.
MasterCard has not been confirmed as a NFC partner, but I think there is a good chance they are on board in addition to some other payment companies like PayPal.
3. New Motion Control APIs
True 1:1 motion processing is coming to Gingerbread thanks to InvenSense, the company behind the MEMS gyroscope sensor found in the Nintendo Wii MotionPlus controller.
Gyroscope sensors have already appeared in some phones like the Samsung Galaxy S, but Android 2.3 will add new sensor fusion APIs including quaternion, rotation matrix, linear acceleration and gravity. These new tools will open the door to all kinds of motion controls for augmented reality apps, games, navigation systems, and camera improvements like image stabilization.
See our previous post for a video with several real-world demos.
4. Native Video Chat
In his last interview, Andy Rubin hinted that native video chat was coming to the next version of Android. “We support video chat today, with Google Talk Video. It works on the desktop. Whether that can be repurposed and made appropriate for sipping bandwidth for mobile, it’s an exercise that’s underway.”
If Mr. Rubin is willing to admit that it’s underway, that tells me the project could be nearing completion and already in the testing phases.
It looks like all the high-end phones coming in the next few months will include front-facing cameras so this is another sign that Android is ready for a native video sharing app to connect all these devices.
5. New Android Market
Google has been telling us for awhile that a new Android Market was coming and recently said new features could appear in the next few weeks. The Android Market can be updated separately from the operating system, but the timing tells us the new Market could be tied to the release of Gingerbread.
Confirmed features for the new Android Market include YouTube video previews, parental controls, PayPal payments, and new high-res promotion graphics that sound like they will be used on the desktop browser version of the Market.
At the Google I/O Developer Conference we attended back in May, Vic Gundotra demonstrated the browser version of the Market that was being tested. See the video below for an idea of what to expect.
6. Google Music
As you can see from the video above, Google is also working on a music streaming service for Android. They launched a music search service earlier this year and hoped to get their music store opened before Christmas, but the latest reports say it might be delayed till 2011. Apparently the music labels are still negotiating with Google on how their “digital locker” will store purchased music, but maybe they come to an agreement this year.
This is coming sooner or later so if it doesn’t make it into Gingerbread then I expect we will see it early next year when Honeycomb tablets are revealed.
7. Support For More Large Screen Devices
On the Android Device Dashboard there is a report where Google displays the different screen sizes and densities of devices that access the Android Market. The Large category is currently blank, but look for more big screen devices like tablets to be officially supported in Android 2.3. This means we could see more 7-inch tablets like the Galaxy Tab (1024 x 600) get certified and maybe a few other resolutions for the new smartphone displays that are rumored to be coming.
We have also heard that Google might relax the rules of their Compatibility Definition Document and allow non-3G devices to be certified. No WiFi-only devices have been certified to use the Android Market yet, but Android 2.3 should hopefully change that.
In a somewhat related note, I believe this is the reason the WiFi-only Galaxy Tab was delayed till next year so that Samsung could make sure that Google allowed them to ship it with the Android Market.
8. Virtual Keyboard Enhancements
Google recently acquired hot startup BlindType to improve their virtual keyboard and we are hearing the enhancements might be coming as soon as Gingerbread. The old company website is now down, but you can still see a demo of their technology on YouTube.
What is BlindType? It is a revolutionary system that:
Eliminates touch typing frustrations
Allows for super sloppy typing
Helps you type easier and faster
Constantly adjusts to the user’s “perceived” keyboard and typing style
Just type the way you are used to – no gestures, nothing new to learn!
9. Support for WebM and VP8
We know that support for WebM and the VP8 video format are coming to Gingerbread because Google and the WebM team have told us this.
WebM is defined on the official project page as, “An open media file format designed for the web. WebM files consist of video streams compressed with the VP8 video codec and audio streams compressed with the Vorbis audio codec. The WebM file structure is based on the Matroska media container. Though video is also now core to the web experience, there is unfortunately no open and free video format that is on par with the leading commercial choices. To that end, we started the WebM project, a broadly-backed community effort to develop an open web media format.”
YouTube now offers WebM videos as part of its HTML5 player experiment. Logitech and Skype are also working with the format for future video calling services.
10. New YouTube With Broadcasting
As we get near the end of the list some of these possible features might be a stretch, but there are still hints that new YouTube features are coming. Phandroid reported that Gingerbread will have a new YouTube app and we know that they are also testing their new live broadcasting platform.
If you look at how important video will be to the upcoming Gingerbread experience, then it is not too hard to imagine that YouTube will allow live broadcasting from your phone similar to Qik or Ustream.
The next generation of superphones will include dual-core processors that support 1080p video streaming and also have speedy 4G connections, so the hardware is definitely going to be there to make it happen.
11. Google Me or Social Gaming Network
Google recently denied the reports they were working on a Facebook competitor called Google Me, but all the signs are there that Google is working on a way to bring together all their social services. TechCrunch reported that Google’s master pitchman Vic Gundotra was being placed in charge of the project, so we expect big things from him.
Andy Rubin hinted that Gingerbread would include improvements for gaming in a previous interview. “I think gaming is an area that I think is underserved right now. If we were to carefully look at what new features and functionalities in the platform that we would need to support all forms of gaming across the entire spectrum, I think that would probably be an interesting thing to pay attention to.”
A number of recent acquisitions and partner agreements might also play a role in this social gaming platform. In the last year Google acquired LabPixies for $25 million (an Israeli startup that made web games), Jambool for $70 million (makers of a virtual currenty platform), Slide for $182 million (Facebook games developer), and invested $100-200 million in Zynga (makers of Farmville).
Apple’s Game Center and platforms like Open Feint have really raised the bar for social gaming, so Google will have to release something soon if they want to catch up.
12. Flagship Phone – Nexus S
Finally, what good is a brand new operating system unless you have a flagship product that can show off all the new features. That device is the Samsung Nexus S which is widely expected to be released alongside Android 2.3. Google’s CEO recently demoed the phone to show off its NFC capabilities, so hopefully we see the device soon.
The Nexus S was originally planned to launch at Best Buy on November 11th, but then TechCrunch reported a serious hardware issue had caused a delay. One of our tipsters said the original Samsung Nexus S was scrapped for a newer dual-core version, which shocked many people because they did not expect Samsung to have a dual-core phone this year, but another trusted source also confirmed that Samsung had such a device in testing.
Conclusion
In the next few weeks we should hopefully get an official list of new Android 2.3 features from Google, but don’t be surprised if Andy Rubin doesn’t announce anything on December 6th.
Google and Samsung already missed the rumored launch date, so they could delay this project till next year in order to iron out all the launch details. Some would say that Samsung has rushed their recent Android products to market without properly testing them (aka GPS issues), so I have no problem with them taking as long as they need.
I would love a taste of Gingerbread for Christmas, but if waiting till next year gets me a fully functional dual-core Nexus S then I’m all for waiting.
How do you think Android 2.3 is shaping up so far? Does this sound like a worthy update, or do you hope that Google is packing in even more exciting features? What other types of improvements would you like to see included with Android 2.3?

Related

Idea on how to get FROYO

Okay whom ever here is in a relationship with a Google employee does us all a favor and take care of this for us. Thanks, really appreciate it. This country needs you!
hahaha, good one.
Or, you could sit outside the Google I/O conference and mug one of them on the way out.
chesh420 said:
Or, you could sit outside the Google I/O conference and mug one of them on the way out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LoL or you could "service them" into giving it to you...
How badly do you want it?
Lol
---------------------------------
Reminds of the south park episode where cartman was waiting on Wii to come out lol
From what I hear (friend) says that he can get 2.2 but the problem is that he needs to have the phone in his hands and then use a special program google made to install froyo onto it, He says they don't have access to a single firmware download just a program and you need to be on googles vlan to use it something like that
DToX69 said:
From what I hear (friend) says that he can get 2.2 but the problem is that he needs to have the phone in his hands and then use a special program google made to install froyo onto it, He says they don't have access to a single firmware download just a program and you need to be on googles vlan to use it something like that
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Click to collapse
Your "friend" needs to stop b.s.ing around and get you an early XMAS gift.
e4604 said:
Reminds of the south park episode where cartman was waiting on Wii to come out lol
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LoL I loved that episode. Great analogy!
Found a clip that shows the people waiting for Froyo are acting exactly the same! http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155352
MoogooGai said:
Your "friend" needs to stop b.s.ing around and get you an early XMAS gift.
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I know he works at google and i've never had any reason to doubt him, he moved a few states away a year ago so I don't see him much anymore but he said if i wanted to mail him my phone he would set it up..... I really can't go a week without my phone
This guy says that Google is pulling it out over the air NOW:
Google Announces Android 2.2 Froyo
posted Today, 10:43 AM by Eric M. Zeman
updated Today, 11:44 AM
Today at its I/O Conference in San Francisco, Google introduced Android 2.2 Froyo. Froyo builds on Android 2.1 Eclair and offers a number of improvements. The largest new feature is built-in support for tethering and Wi-Fi hotspots. It also has a refreshed home screen that adds permanent "Phone" and "Web" buttons alongside the Menu key. Google has also taken pains to improve the performance of applications and the Android Market. Users can now update all their applications in one step, rather than each at a time. Google also said that users can choose to have their applications update automatically. Android 2.2 also takes advantage of the Dalvik Virtual Machine. This tool vastly improves the speed of the platform. By incorporating a just-in-time compiler, applications are five to ten times faster than with Android 2.1. Android 2.2 is now more Microsoft Exchange friendly, and includes features such as auto-discovery, contacts sync and improved security controls. Google says it has boosted JavaScript performance in the browser to make it faster, as well. The browser also now includes Adobe Flash Player 10.1. Some of the new APIs in Android 2.2 will help move user and application data from device to device. Among other new features, Android users will now be able to store apps on external memory, instead of the device's internal storage. This should allow for larger apps, which will include more advanced games. The Google App Market has long had a Web component to browser applications, but now users can choose an app from the Web-based Market, and the phone will start downloading the app automatically. Additionally, Google will be offering a streaming music service. Using an app on a desktop PC, Android users will be able to listen to their entire, non-DRM music library over the air on their Android phones. Android 2.2 Froyo will be available today to owners of the Nexus One. It can be downloaded over the air. Android 2.2 will also be made available to the Motorola Droid in the near future. Google also plans to make it available to devices such as the HTC Incredible, EVO 4G and Desire, and the Motorola Milestone.
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But the ethnic of its surname just reminds me one word: LIAR
justclimb said:
LIAR
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Couldn't agree more
Froyo is a surprise treat - not a demand
Ohai! Another thread for froyo!
As opposite to the previous link..this has some interesting news.
Many of the older device owners and early adopters will be glad to hear this one – I’ve talked to a bunch of Google folks in charge of developing Android at the Google I/O, and they told me that technically it would be possible to put Froyo on any device on the market now, including the G1.
Since I was trying to specifically concentrate on the G1s due to those devices having the lowest specs among all Android phones, a lot of my questions were asked with this Android dinosaur in mind.
During my discussions, I was told that even though the G1 had smaller internal storage capacity, it would be possible to package up an update without the extra Google apps, and then install them later on a different partition (or so I understood). In fact, Cyanogen already kind of does this whole Google app separation in his CyanogenMods but that is due to a C&D he had received. Either way, technically it’s already been shown possible. Also, when I brought up Cyanogen, the Google devs had no doubt he’d be able to pull off a Froyo update for the G1, regardless of whether the carrier would want to bring it to you or not.
Such an update would not be OTA and would wipe the phone, which is not entirely unheard of, considering the last Sprint HTC Hero update does exactly that.
Furthermore, I was told that there are unofficial test builds running Froyo on G1s within Google, and they’re speedy as hell compared to the previous versions, making up for the slower CPU and lower specs in general. Could it be that your old G1 will be able to shine brighter than it had ever before?
Of course, as far as official releases go, it will be entirely up to the carriers and the manufacturers to package up and offer the Froyo updates to their customers.
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My girlfriend´s stock Magic needs a fresh wave of air... this should be the right xcuse to wipe all her data...
This is from gizmodo:
"Congratulations, Nexus One users! You'll be getting Froyo later today. Everyone else, you're just going to have to hold tight; firmware updates are largely up to the carriers and OEMs, and some poor saps only got their Android 2.1 upgrade in the last week. The more recent Android handsets should see an update in the next few months"
neverelaxed said:
This is from gizmodo:
"Congratulations, Nexus One users! You'll be getting Froyo later today. Everyone else, you're just going to have to hold tight; firmware updates are largely up to the carriers and OEMs, and some poor saps only got their Android 2.1 upgrade in the last week. The more recent Android handsets should see an update in the next few months"
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I was about to post the same thing...get working CY
Looks like gizmodo updated the article to "Congratulations, Nexus One users! You're guaranteed to be in the first Froyo update."
neverelaxed said:
This is from gizmodo:
"Congratulations, Nexus One users! You'll be getting Froyo later today. Everyone else, you're just going to have to hold tight; firmware updates are largely up to the carriers and OEMs, and some poor saps only got their Android 2.1 upgrade in the last week. The more recent Android handsets should see an update in the next few months"
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Have a link?
gizmodo just updated that post and said it was a "typo". It now says N1 users will be the first to receive 2.2...
damn...neverelaxed beat me....
snlu178 said:
gizmodo just updated that post and said it was a "typo". It now says N1 users will be the first to receive 2.2...
damn...neverelaxed beat me....
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beat me to it bro

Bad News for Archos - Update on Honeycomb (unconfirmed)

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/03/honeycomb-to-require-dual-core-processor-initially-tablet-only/
http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...-have-minimum-specs-require-hd-dual-core.html
Not confirmed but.. still bad news..(at least for the long term as I suspect if the requirements are this high it will be a long time before developers develop specifically to that platform)
I have to say, I would be very surprised if that were the case. There is so much information flying around at the moment, I refuse to believe anything until it's confirmed.
Having the specs too high when so many people are converting to Android would be counter productive and risks splitting their market base. Not everyone (in fact, I would say fairly few) is able or willing to upgrade their phone and it's hardware every year in order to keep up with software.
Well, I say: let's cross the Honeycomb bridge after paying a visit to the Gingerbread man
I think Gingerbread will make this a much better alrounder than it already is. I have a feeling honeycomb will have the "Windows Vista" effect and then they'll start streamlining the programming again, without the fluff... Giving us the Android equivalent of Win7, but that's my opinion only
I have to admit that when I read this yesterday I was a bit disappointed. If this is in fact the case I will be highly upset due to the fact the honeycomb is supposedly the more "tablet specific" OS so lets hope that this is not the case
I 100% agree... It would be foolish for Google to introduce what would be a new platform and not build on what market penetration they have already with the phones (in other words they need to pull a play from Apple's playbook)
Why I dont believe this is true:
If the tablet comes in with minimums that are higher then the fastest supported phone platform OR the API changes enough that current apps break or future application development changes significantly it will be a very long adoption process. If the prices is the same or higher than the iPAD it will be a huge failure in the short term.
Dont get me wrong I love to see higher specs and newer more robust APIs as the experience will be much better for the consumer but reality is people buy these type of devices based on the number of apps that run on them. As you can see Apple kept to this strategy and has had record sales of their iPAD and will continue to... This approach with the lead unfortunately will be very difficult to overcomb - especially for the masses (us geeks are a different story but success of products depend on the masses not us geeks)
PLUS if they do change the API why havnt they released it to developers.. There is always a ramp up. Take Microsoft for example there is no larger community then the .Net developer community --- and only 5000 apps in all these weeks?
So again, why I dont believe its true:
Very Risky Option --- . Companies like to show huge profits and like less risk.. Apple has achieved a great balance with their phone/tablet products.
But this is Google (Young, Hip, Has a huge stash of cash, arrogant, etc.) ... So see below:
Events that leads me to believe that this IS true:
1. Google doesn't officially allow any tablets to access market place. "Current platform not optimized for tablet use" --- this BS as we can all see. The APIs fully support tablets with 2.2.
2. GalaxyTab released with Market ONLY for Cell model - WIFI only model delayed --- Why delayed?? NO reason technically. No work on WIFI model.. Hmmmm
2.5 Samsung announces v2 of the Galaxy will be Tegra based. (just added)
3. Who from the competitive companies (Toshiba, Vizio, Motorola, MSI, Acer, Asus, etc.) who have announced a new tablet coming in 2011, announce that their platform of choice IS NOT Tegra based?? Who who??? I haven't seen anyone. Why? - No one else has a dual core ready.
4. All Tegra based tablets have 512 meg ram --- Hmmm why? Its unnecessary for the platform (all you linux heads know what I mean). I see this as a nice to have. And for those you screaming that this is why the Archos is limited/poor performing -- use the iPAD.. It's interface/applications scream speed and the iPAD only has 256 Meg of ram (and guess what its using a Linux Kernel)
5. Tegra 2 is dual core ---- See 4..
6. Hush hush... Doesn't make sense why Google who "is an open source company" would keep the minimum specs/sdetails on this build so secretive... No leaks from vendors either... Nothing... I have more information on the iPAD 2 than Honeycomb.
7. New companies eLocity, etc. are coming out of the gate using an expensive chip as their first run??? Profit Profit Prof it is key to any new company.. If it would work on a lesser chip they would gone there first..
Simple fun to speculate either way though..
d31b0y said:
I have to say, I would be very surprised if that were the case. There is so much information flying around at the moment, I refuse to believe anything until it's confirmed.
Having the specs too high when so many people are converting to Android would be counter productive and risks splitting their market base. Not everyone (in fact, I would say fairly few) is able or willing to upgrade their phone and it's hardware every year in order to keep up with software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as we're able to eventually root the device and get a custom ROM installed I wouldn't worry about it. I had a G1 prior to my Nexus One phone. Installing Cyanogenmod on the G1 made the phone much more usable then the vanilla ROM that it came with. The custom ROM guys love to backport the newer stuff for older devices.
http://twitter.com/morrildl/status/12380827807653888
No minimums?
That's GingerBread, not Honeycomb.
Asus just demoed their EEPad guess what? Honeycomb tablet NOT running Tegra 2... Dont fret though.... Its using the Qualcom dual core processor... (Note the dual core processor)... Its out in June at 499..
This bothers me due to the fact that I just returned the GTab (the screen is terrible) and should have my 70 tab tomorrow or Thursday, wtf.
Sent from a Fresh Evo
See it this way... with the 70 you will have many many many many months of enjoyment before you are forced to upgrade. Even if Honeycomb comes out tomorrow I highly doubt there will be any proprietary/optimized applications for the OS. You wont see Honeycomb optimized applications till the 3rd or 4 quarter and applications will not use the dual core probably till later next year (though since the applications run through a JVM is is conceivable the JVM will have the added benefit of brining true multi threading without the developer needing to know how to implement the multi-threading)
Net net is... I still think the GTablet/Archos line of products are short term fixes for a need... the long term fix comes 2nd half when all tablets are out the market.. next year until we get hardware that is at a reasonable price.
Not for nothing if they come in at or around the 500 or 600 mark... Why wouldn't I get a IPAD 2(talking from my wifes point of view)?
hough77 said:
This bothers me due to the fact that I just returned the GTab (the screen is terrible) and should have my 70 tab tomorrow or Thursday, wtf.
Sent from a Fresh Evo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stanglx said:
See it this way... with the 70 you will have many many many many months of enjoyment before you are forced to upgrade. Even if Honeycomb comes out tomorrow I highly doubt there will be any proprietary/optimized applications for the OS. You wont see Honeycomb optimized applications till the 3rd or 4 quarter and applications will not use the dual core probably till later next year (though since the applications run through a JVM is is conceivable the JVM will have the added benefit of brining true multi threading without the developer needing to know how to implement the multi-threading)
Net net is... I still think the GTablet/Archos line of products are short term fixes for a need... the long term fix comes 2nd half when all tablets are out the market.. next year until we get hardware that is at a reasonable price.
Not for nothing if they come in at or around the 500 or 600 mark... Why wouldn't I get a IPAD 2(talking from my wifes point of view)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, thanx for the positive outlook, it will be a fun toy, and its not hard on check book either! Like it will be the last tab I ever buy or something.
sent from a rooted EVO running Fresh Rom
Well... after seeing some of the demos and the units which have Honeycomb I can honestly say with some level of confidence that
1. HoneyComb will most certainly be a tablet only OS - I think this is a horrible approach. This will just splinter the development with Phones always having the priority as there are more of them. Apple did it right having the base OS the same and leaving the difference up to the developers on which form factor to target for their app (Microsoft is doing the same if you have ever developed on the new mobile,desktop or gaming platform you know what I mean)
2. It will most certainly require dual core. Everything is a dual core even the EEPAD (not tegra based) that has been talked about that will run Honeycomb...
Positive is Archos will drop in price in a few weeks once pre-orders start for these devices...
Now I want to see what move apple makes... (they will most certainly wait to hear HoneyComb release date and some prices)..
ASUS Eee Pad MeMO:
•BXL Qualcomm Snapdragon 8260 1.2Ghz
Motorola XOOM with no Button (back, home, menu, ect..)
All kind nearly with our cheap Archos... nothing to worry about Honeycomb... just how long they do ^_^
Not so bad now.
I just read on n-tv that a google developer said there will be no hard requirements like screen sizes or cpu cores for Android 3.0.
Thing is, with only 256 MiByte of Ram the Archos will most likely have to be modded to run it. Like adding swap space and overclock.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
It will install.. but will it run... I can install Windows Vista on an old 386... takes 2 days to install... but it boots.. and "technical runs"
Kashban said:
Not so bad now.
I just read on n-tv that a google developer said there will be no hard requirements like screen sizes or cpu cores for Android 3.0.
Thing is, with only 256 MiByte of Ram the Archos will most likely have to be modded to run it. Like adding swap space and overclock.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as predicted, total BS
https://twitter.com/#!/morrildl/status/22845294886518785
#dejavu Random note: there's no hard minimum processor requirement for Honeycomb. Trust me, if there were I'd know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See this -->http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10375484&postcount=16
czesiu said:
as predicted, total BS
https://twitter.com/#!/morrildl/status/22845294886518785
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stanglx said:
It will install.. but will it run... I can install Windows Vista on an old 386... takes 2 days to install... but it boots.. and "technical runs"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, you can't do that. There are hard minimums for supported architecture.
JasonOT said:
Actually, you can't do that. There are hard minimums for supported architecture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
burn. just saying.

Honeycomb demoed at CES and it's Android 3.0

But they say, it's for the tablets. :-(
http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/05/google-shows-off-android-3-0-the-entirely-for-tablet-honeycom/
EDIT : hopefully , we'll get video chat this time.
I'm actually happy its just for tablets. Tablets need something to make the special beyond "just big phones"
Plus I couldn't imagine how weird it would be with capacitive screen buttons on the phone but honeycomb virtual screen buttons as well?
Well played Google... Well played
Oh yes... sweet yes... portable?
Who knows.
agree 100%. theres got to be something that differentiates tablets and phones. google is moving in that direction. i only hope that there will be a version of HC that will run on phones in a "translated" form to make it more usable on a mobile interface.
Clueless on how to cope with two different sets... but seems they don't give ..... about it.
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk
sigh, it does NOT say tablet only, it says designed for tablets, a whole of difference.
Told y'all the CNN Honeycomb article leaned toward tablets: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=10001097#post10001097
ROM_Guest said:
Told y'all the CNN Honeycomb article leaned toward tablets: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=10001097#post10001097
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you never heard of marketing?
"designed for tablets" is marketing bs. Until someone shows a significant change in the tablet and cell phone hardware, it will continue to be bs. A few applications will need to be changed (like GMail) but the rest is marketing.
descendency said:
have you never heard of marketing?
"designed for tablets" is marketing bs. Until someone shows a significant change in the tablet and cell phone hardware, it will continue to be bs. A few applications will need to be changed (like GMail) but the rest is marketing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen size is that significant change. It requires quite different application layout concepts (which in turn require OS support).
It could well be, that honeycomb development is focused solely on tablet issues (like being in essence sort of gingerbread "tablet edition") and is worthless in the smartphone context.
Again, Andy Rubin at D: Dive into the mobile said the focus was on tablet but that the new views/pane could be adapted to phones.
That being said wouldn't be to surprise if we have to wait until Google I/O for some of this eyecandy on cell phones.
Oh and Gtalk Video is there...
Honeycomb looks great. I agree that "designed for tablets" its good marketing. They can play the angle that the ipad was based on a phone OS & Honeycomb has been built for the ground up with tablets in mind.
My guess (or atleast what I hope) is that Google will announce Honeycomb for phones as well. They would share the same UI just with one designed for smaller screens in mind. Ideally the phone OS wouldn't need the dual core processing (so fragmentation doesn't kick in). And this way both tablets and phones share the same platform making it a bit easier for developers. Ofcourse this is just the way I am dreaming things up but it does make a bit of sense with Google making Gingerbread 2.4 after all the initial speculation that it would be 3.0. It makes me wonder if Gingerbread was rushed in order to get the next Nexus flagship phone out before the holidays.
lazaro17 said:
They can play the angle that the ipad was based on a phone OS & Honeycomb has been built for the ground up with tablets in mind
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure the markets will play that angle I'm sure. Of course the reality is that the iPad was actually designed before the iPhone. So the iPhone is using a tablet OS, not the other way around!
lazaro17 said:
Honeycomb looks great. I agree that "designed for tablets" its good marketing. They can play the angle that the ipad was based on a phone OS & Honeycomb has been built for the ground up with tablets in mind.
My guess (or atleast what I hope) is that Google will announce Honeycomb for phones as well. They would share the same UI just with one designed for smaller screens in mind. Ideally the phone OS wouldn't need the dual core processing (so fragmentation doesn't kick in). And this way both tablets and phones share the same platform making it a bit easier for developers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Provided el goog did not invent any new kind of wheel, I think it is quite safe to assume, that honeycomb "tablet edition" changes are geared to support those new additional screen layouts typical to the tablets.
Like currently developer can define several different layouts, for example one for portrait and one for landscape, screen form factor, docking state, night/day mode etc.
So, there will be additional modes for tablets. And additional UI controls utilizing those modes.
Then google will need to modify all the system apps, I think this makes the most of the honeycomb overhead. To do it properly it is by far not enough to "inflate" your present smartphone apps. Samsung already hacked this into the most of the apps shipped with galaxy tab.
It is actually quite boring if you look at it from the smartphone point of view. More like the new UI skin if at all.
only (put your curse here) would presume Google is ditching the mobile phones to tablets by providing new 'cool' updates to tablets and let the phones rot. almost every person has a phone not every person has a tablet or planning on getting one. Not very good for Google business, so they won't keep (put any Android version here) exclusive to a certain platform.
So this means that Gingerbread 2.3 will remain the flagship OS for phones till the year end or will the Dual Core Motorola Atrix & Optimus 2X can have 3.0 sometime later
android_master said:
So this means that Gingerbread 2.3 will remain the flagship OS for phones till the year end or will the Dual Core Motorola Atrix & Optimus 2X can have 3.0 sometime later
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. All this means is that 3.0 will be shipping on some tablets in a few months. We don't yet know anything about Android releases for phones beyond Gingerbread.
damn right it looks great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CenYofDGwoU
edit: thank god that now the confusion that many have regarding the difference between "gingerbread" and "android 3.0" will be cleared up. yes, there are folks like that :eek
Perhaps facets of the UI are Tablet only.
What a stupid thing it would be to fragment Android even further.
Nice UI..BB Playbook task switching still is miles ahead in terms of wow factor and ease of switching.
The apps themselves look great. Once again I have great fear of these 3d aspects bogging things like the Froyo Gallery.
If it doesnt load at lightning speed they will be guilty of overshooting the programming for available HW.
I cant see that UI running smoothly on any current phone including the Nexus S.
The real question, which has yet to have a definitive answer, is when can i actually buy something that runs this?!
Its safe to say that I will be picking up a tablet with Honeycomb this year.

Gingerbread 2.3.4!!!

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/2...be-introduced-at-io-as-part-of-android-2-3-4/
If im not mistaken isn't the Nexus S 4g running this version of gingerbread? Maybe thats whats holding it back!!
Nice, I cannot wait
Sent from my Nexus S
Now, Skype is going down.
GREAT
dwnld lnk !!!
Nexus S 4G is running 2.3.3, however reports indicate that there will be an update to 2.3.4 shortly after Google I/O's announcement of Google Talk with Voice
According to Boy Genius report hands on Nexus S 4G is running 2.3.4
http://www.bgr.com/2011/03/23/hands-on-with-sprints-nexus-s-4g/
Really looking forward to this. I wanna video chat!
If it works between PCs (including Macs!) and phones with the Nexus S's front-facing camera, this is a godsend. NOTHING yet in the Android Market fulfills both those requirements, something I find is a big fail after there's been Android phones for a year now with FFCs...
I can't wait for this. It really should have been added back when the Nexus S first came out. I support the idea of getting all of the kinks out, and if they made it better because of it then more power to them, but those at Google should work on their presentation. I know, it's not about bragging, it's about functionality, but come on.
I hate to say it, but they should have taken a cue from apple and released video chat in addition to their other big events. Just look at the iphone 4 (once again, sorry I had to bring it up). Of course Apple's presentation is overkill, but it was all of the things at once that made it a little bit beast. New design, thinner, faster, double res display, and software that gave it multitasking and facetime.
Now that it's this close to I/O Google should have just released then. It's just two weeks, why not wait? Then explode at I/O with all the goodies. Better that than an "oh yeah, by the way......"
Just my opinion though.
Skype + Other Mediocre Video take notice
Glad that Google stepped up to the plate to do this. Hopefully they will do an IOS client later (not that I use an Apple device but have friends that do - FaceTime being Apple only just blows).
Good thing it looks like from the demo is it will work with the Gmail Talk/Video plug in - which is BRILLIANT! First Google Video Call app that can go back to a desktop - a sore missing feature since Skype has done NOTHING with Video on Android. This being Google let's see if they later support multi chat/video - I don't see Google doing that and charging for it like everyone else (barring Qik) is trying to do.
Android really needed a proper Video Talk app and I hope this cuts it.
patrixl said:
If it works between PCs (including Macs!) and phones with the Nexus S's front-facing camera, this is a godsend. NOTHING yet in the Android Market fulfills both those requirements, something I find is a big fail after there's been Android phones for a year now with FFCs...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like it will, from the Google Link:
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/04/video-chat-on-your-android-phone.html
Their text:
You can now video or voice chat with your friends, family and colleagues right from your Android phone, whether they’re on their compatible Android tablet or phone, or using Gmail with Google Talk on their computer. You can make calls over a 3G or 4G data network (if your carrier supports it) or over Wi-Fi.

[Q] Is google doing the right thing by introducing updates to fast

I sometimes thing that by introducing updates to the OS so fast is Google doing the right thing.
Before you all start hitting at me please go through these two scenarios
An OS update every year which ensures that there are major changes and upgrade to the OS which will mean devices will have a better chances of getting upgrades as then the developement cost for customization of a device will be once a year
An OS update every three to six months which ensure most of the device are either not updated or when the update is about to be released the new update is already out the perfect scenario is 4 to 4,1 to 4.1.1 to 4.2 LG is still to release update for ICS for some devices, Samsung is still to release update of JB to most of its device and we have an update to JB whats worst is now we are looking upgrade to 4.2.
Every cell phone or table OEM using Android does its own customization to the OS and then there are some locked phones in the US so for them to release a new version they need to customize it first which will have a cost involved and now with these recent sprint of updates by google I am sure most of our device will not go beyond JB some have not even gone beyond GB yet because at the end of the day these companies are here to make profit and if they end up spending more on developement then what they have earned then naturaly they will not do it.
So I feel this should rationalized to make sure the existing owners do not suffer because of this flawed update policy of Google devices
Google OS updates are a total mess. I like how apple do it.
Sent from my GT-N8010 using xda premium
Agreed with you the updates are making life of existing owners misreble hell I cannot afford to upgrade my cell every six months or even a year and a tablet for a couple of years because I am from India do not earn that much and secondly we have to buy outright no contracts so for me this is worst thing to happen My LG optimus 2x is still not being updated to ICS and ICS is already obsolute
samir_a said:
Agreed with you the updates are making life of existing owners misreble hell I cannot afford to upgrade my cell every six months or even a year and a tablet for a couple of years because I am from India do not earn that much and secondly we have to buy outright no contracts so for me this is worst thing to happen My LG optimus 2x is still not being updated to ICS and ICS is already obsolute
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right, even there are Samsung tablets in some regions haven't got ics and now Google is releasing 4.2, I have abad feeling from my experience with Samsung tablets that we are not going to get any updates after jellybean
Sent from my X10S using xda app-developers app
To be frank you cannot blame Samsung or for that matter any other manufacturer because these devices are highly customized and for every new version they have do develope the ROM which involves cost naturally even if you are in business you will not spend on developement when the revenue generated from it is surpased by cost of developement
The answer is yes. Stalling leads to less innovation. Besides, the next Jellybean update is not a huge one. This is why I will get a Nexus Phone, because of the updates. As for tha tablet, I can live a little while not having the latest OS.
Google's release planning outwardly looks like it’s being run by a bunch of kids. "Ooh, ooh, we should change how screen orientation works, let's push it out!" There is absolutely no reason they should be pushing out major updates more than twice a year with once a year being ideal. Minor maintenance updates that don’t affect things the manufacturers have written should be pushed out quarterly. The way updates normally work you need to spend as much time considering the impact to your installed base as you do to newer devices. With a set release schedule all those involved know if you want something changed or improved you've got to have it blessed and ready by the revision date. If not, you wait for the next. It's clear they could care less about their installed base. And Nexus devices aren't the answer as they represent less than 5% of Android phones sold. The fragmentation this creates helps no one - customers, manufacturers, app developers, and resellers. And if people have to buy new phones to keep up with the latest Google OS they'll get tired of it eventually and the next new phone they buy could be W8 or iOS. We're Android fans and are loyal. The general populous less so.
This is absolutely unforgivable and is going to come back and bite Google in the ass no matter how many Nexi they create.
With the exception of ^^ Jonphinguyen7, you guys have it completely wrong.
If you prefer Apple, go to Apple, have "fun" but Google keeps up with all updates just like Apple.
We have Android devices [by Samsung, HTC, Motorola, etc].
You want the real Google experience, get a Google device [Nexus].
Updates are NOT that fast either.
Android 3.x Honeycomb -- Feb 2011
Android 4.0.x Ice Cream Sandwich -- Oct 2011
Android 4.1.x Jelly Bean -- July 2012
Blame the lack of updates on the manufacturer.
That's what we get into when we decide to go with a Galaxy Device... i thought everyone knew.
HG! said:
With the exception of ^^ Jonphinguyen7, you guys have it completely wrong.
If you prefer Apple, go to Apple, have "fun" but Google keeps up with all updates just like Apple.
We have Android devices [by Samsung, HTC, Motorola, etc].
You want the real Google experience, get a Google device [Nexus].
Updates are NOT that fast either.
Android 3.x Honeycomb -- Feb 2011
Android 4.0.x Ice Cream Sandwich -- Oct 2011
Android 4.1.x Jelly Bean -- July 2012
Blame the lack of updates on the manufacturer.
That's what we get into when we decide to go with a Galaxy Device... i thought everyone knew.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're missing the point completely by assuming your attitude is shared by the majority of phone buyers. Android can't succeed without carrier and manufacturer support. Even Nexus phones on VZW, the biggest carrier in the U.S. and one of the top five in the world, are a train wreck because they use CDMA. Carrier networks while theoretically based on the same technology all have different tweaks that require changes in the radio settings. A generic Nexus device, even on GSM, has problems on certain networks which is why the carrier-sold GN's come in so many different versions. And those carrier GN’s don’t receive updates when Google pushes them out creating the same update frustration for their owners that we’re discussing for the Note.
With 90% of phones sold in the U.S. kept an average of 15 months and subsidized by carriers there is nothing Google can do with its Nexus line that is going to influence the mainstream phone buyer. In market research that's been done those same people also like the features that TouchWiz and Sense provide which is why Samsung and HTC spend so much time and money on their UIs. Enthusiasts like us make up 5% of phone buyers. If Google captures 100% of us and 10% of the rest it's a major fail and a great opportunity for iOS and W8. Google's the "tail," not the "dog" and with Samsung, HTC, Nokia, and Huawei jumping on the W8 band wagon so quickly and heavily you have to ask yourself “why?”
Google's lack of attention to the partners it needs for Android to succeed (carriers, manufacturers) and customers using their OS can't end well when there are viable alternatives like iOS and W8 available from competitors with resources as ample as Google's. The mobile race is in its infancy and anyone can still win and Google needs friends more than they need Key Lime Pie.
This is what Nexus looks like behind the scenes...
Well said also we need to remember Google Nexus devices are again built in partnership unlike Iphone which means they a dependent of someone for the hardware something I find strange and again show how missmanged things are at google is they own motorola but they are not building their flagship nexus devices instead samsung and lg are doing which makes no business sense as it tells that google does not have confidence that moto can build nexus devices if that is the case then why did they buy it. Google needs to understand updates are great but they are useless if they cannot reach majority of their customer base.
HG! said:
With the exception of ^^ Jonphinguyen7, you guys have it completely wrong.
If you prefer Apple, go to Apple, have "fun" but Google keeps up with all updates just like Apple.
We have Android devices [by Samsung, HTC, Motorola, etc].
You want the real Google experience, get a Google device [Nexus].
Updates are NOT that fast either.
Android 3.x Honeycomb -- Feb 2011
Android 4.0.x Ice Cream Sandwich -- Oct 2011
Android 4.1.x Jelly Bean -- July 2012
Blame the lack of updates on the manufacturer.
That's what we get into when we decide to go with a Galaxy Device... i thought everyone knew.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you are describing is people who are using unlcoked/unsubsidized GN phones and their numbers are really small compared to the rest of the Android owners. As Barry pointed out, GN phones that are sold by the carriers are not any different when it comes to receiving updates. With this perspective, the people who are enjoying the "real Google experience", which brings frequent updates, is a tiny fraction of their target market, and releasing major updates so often only frustrates both manufacturers and the carriers (at least in the US), not to mention the owners of Android phones/tablets. Just take a look at any carrier-specific forums few days after the release of Android updates and see the slurry of angry comments asking for "where's my update? I'm never buying a Samsung phone/tablet again, etc, etc".
Keep in mind that the relationship between Samsung, HTC, LG, etc. with Google has been based on a "well, there's no other alternative to iOS in the mobile world" argument. Nokia has recently released Windows phones that were received very well as an alternative but couldn't capture significant market share partly due to OS limitations and the "novelty factor". Samsung and HTC had Windows phones before, but none of them were any major players compared to Android or iOS. I don't remember seeing a single commercial touting any Windows phones with the exception of Nokia's recent offerings. Based on what's been published over the years, Google's treatment of this relationship and the fragmentation that it generates with every release have not been received very well by the manufacturers. Like it or not, W8 is designed with mobile platforms in mind first, followed by desktop computing.
As pointed out, the manufacturers of Android devices are not only making W8 tablets, but also many W8 phones, now. Since many people in the US are more familiar with Samsung, HTC and LG, compared to Nokia or Sony Ericsson, the availability of W8 phones will most likely take people away from prospective Android buyers rather than Apple customers. The part of the success of Apple is the unity, integrity and the similarities between MacOS and iOS. In a perfect world, I wouldn't mind using W8 on my desktop, laptop (via bootcamp), tablet and phone (if this happens, I'll be buying a small Android tablet; I'm nostalgic). This is what MS is hoping/planning for, and we'll see how well that could be executed over the next 3-6 months.
If W8 tablets/phones don't generate enough excitement, then we're stuck with Android and Google's further fragmentation. Luckily, Samsung adds a lot more on top of the "plain" Android to keep us happy. I've used my son's Nexus 7 for about a month now, and every single time, I find myself looking for certain components of the TW interface that I'm accustomed to from my Note 10.1. Therefore, I don't see myself buying any Nexus device in the future, but I hope they do well. If the analysts are correct, then Google may be the only manufacturer of high-end Android tablets in the future.
tenderidol said:
people who are enjoying the "real Google experience", which brings frequent updates, is a tiny fraction of their target market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And let's be honest. The "real Google experience" is a pretty basic OS tied to Google Apps, Google Music, Google Books, Google TV & Movies, and other things Google wants people to buy. Phones with overlays that integrate features and make them easier to use together are more appealing to the mainstream than having to go out to Play Store and figure out which of the dozens of different alternatives available for a specific chore is going to do what they want it to do. And out of a dozen similar apps 2/3 can be total crap and built in someone's garage. Camry's and Accord's are probably about as commoditized a car as any on the market. Yet they are consistently best sellers. The majority of phone buyers like car buyers aren't looking for a do-it-yourself project. They want something reliable, that's low maintenance, and that they know is going to work and hold up over time. And they are the ones that are going to decide whether Android, W8, or iOS is the best and most prevalent mobile OS.
And Google’s hardware division, Motorola, sending a "f-you” message to their customers by reneging on their commitment to move 2011 high-end devices to JB in violation of the Google-sponsored Open Handset Alliance’s covenants speaks volumes about what’s important to Google. If they keep putting unattainable functionality ahead of their existing customer’s experiences they are going to drive people away.
You all seem to be mistaken on what is the main question at hand. No, Google is not updating too fast, as pointed out with some dates from another poster. The reason it takes too long or never happens (our updates) is because of all the bloat and custom software put into it by manufacturers and OEM's. The "Google Experience" isn't just the main Google apps, it's the OS at it's purest, with no additional features added by manufacturers. Lastly, if you watched the Google I/O you will remember the Google Rep saying that they will be giving update source code to manufacturers six month in advance now, so that they can add all their junk onto it for (hopefully) timely updates.
^OS at its purest requires you to download a lot of 'junk' from playstore to even do basic tasks. Some of the manufacturer customization are useful.

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